אָמַן
ʼâman · H539 · Hebrew · 105 occurrences
Meanings
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firm
State in which an inanimate object is firmly positioned in its place, so that it will not move
ExamplesIsaiah 22:23 “I will drive him like a peg in a firm place, And he will become a throne of glory to his father’s house.
Isaiah 22:25 “On that day,” declares the LORD of armies, “the peg driven into a firm place will give way; it will even break off and fall, and the load that is hanging on it will be cut off, for the LORD has spoken.”
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to stand still
Action in which an animate object stays in one place without moving
ExamplesJob 39:24 “He races over the ground with a roar and fury, And he does not stand still when he hears the sound of the trumpet.
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to be confident
State in which humans are confident that they can face the situations that they are confronted with, and are not given to fear
Examples2 Chronicles 20:20 They rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa; and when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: Put your trust in the LORD your God and you will endure. Put your trust in His prophets, and succeed.”
Isaiah 7:9 and the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you will not believe, you certainly shall not last.”’”
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to be convinced, to believe
State in which humans are confident with regard to another person or event, which means that this person is believed to be speaking the truth, or that this event is true
ExamplesGenesis 45:26 And they told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and indeed he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” But he was stunned, for he did not believe them.
Exodus 4:1 Then Moses said, “What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say? For they may say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.’”
Exodus 4:5 “so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”
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to have faith, to keep faith, to trust, to believe
State in which humans are confident with regard to another person or deity, which means that this person or deity does only speak the truth but is also faithful, and willing and able to help
ExamplesGenesis 15:6 Then he believed in the LORD; and He credited it to him as righteousness.
Exodus 14:31 When Israel saw the great power which the LORD had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in His servant Moses.
Exodus 19:9 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will come to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may hear when I speak with you and may also trust in you forever.” Then Moses told the words of the people to the LORD.
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to last, to endure, lasting, enduring, chronic
State in which an event or condition endures for an extended period of time
ExamplesDeuteronomy 28:59 then the LORD will bring extraordinary plagues on you and your descendants, severe and lasting plagues, and miserable and chronic sicknesses.
1 Samuel 2:35 ‘But I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and My soul; and I will build him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed always.
1 Samuel 25:28 “Please forgive the offense of your slave; for the LORD will certainly make for my lord an enduring house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the LORD, and evil will not be found in you all your days.
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to be faithful, to be reliable, to be trustworthy, to be true
State in which humans and deities are considered worthy of trust, because they are truthful and committed, with an unwavering disposition, which is reflected in their words and actions
ExamplesDeuteronomy 7:9 “Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His faithfulness to a thousand generations for those who love Him and keep His commandments;
1 Samuel 2:35 ‘But I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and My soul; and I will build him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed always.
1 Samuel 3:20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the LORD.
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to be true, to be reliable, to be fulfilled, to be verified, to be confirmed
Process by which someone's words turn out to be true
ExamplesGenesis 42:20 and bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified, and you will not die.” And they did so.
1 Kings 8:26 “Now then, God of Israel, let Your words, please, be confirmed, which You have spoken to Your servant, my father David.
1 Chronicles 17:23 “Now, LORD, let the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house be established forever, and do just as You have spoken.
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to be brought up, to be raised
Process of being raised and educated from childhood to grown age
ExamplesLamentations 4:5 Those who used to eat delicacies Are made to tremble in the streets; Those who were raised in crimson clothing Embrace garbage heaps.
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nurse, foster-parent, guardian
Man or woman responsible for raising and educating one or more children on behalf of the parents
ExamplesNumbers 11:12 “Was it I who conceived all this people? Or did I give birth to them, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your arms, as a nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which You swore to their fathers’?
Ruth 4:16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse.
2 Samuel 4:4 Now Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son who was disabled in both feet. He was five years old when the news of Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse picked him up and fled. But it happened that in her hurry to flee, he fell and could no longer walk. And his name was Mephibosheth.
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Process by which a child is carried and cared for by a nurse (to be carried (on the hip))
ExamplesIsaiah 60:4 “Raise your eyes all around and see; They all gather together, they come to you. Your sons will come from afar, And your daughters will be carried on the hip.
How it’s used In 11 roles
Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.
the word studied the word it goes with
Who or what does itSubject
75 occurrences in 29 groups
- Not stated: they 16
- Not stated: you (more than one) 11
- Not stated: he, she or it 8
- Not stated: I 6
- דָּבָרword, thing, matter 5
- Not stated: you (one person) 4
- Other words · 22 groups that occur once or twice (24) 24
What it acts on, or what is saidObject
9 occurrences in 9 groups
- Other words · 9 groups that occur once or twice (10) 10
With prepositionsPrepositional phrases
49 occurrences in 39 groups
- בin/on/with+ יְהֹוָהthe LORD, YHWH 4
- לto/for+ דָּבָרword, thing, matter 4
- עַדto, as far as, until+ עוֹלָםforever 3
- לto/for+ וֹhim 3
- Other words · 35 groups that occur once or twice (45) 45
With adverbsAdverbs
37 occurrences in 4 groups
- לֹאnot 30
- אַלnot, do not 5
- אַיִןthere is no, not 1
- מְאֹדvery 1
Whose, or of whatGenitive or possessive
4 occurrences in 4 groups
- רוּחַspirit, wind 1
- אֶרֶץland, earth, ground 1
- ךְyou 1
- וֹhim 1
Named alongside itApposition
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- חֵסֵדsteadfast love, kindness, loyalty 1
What it doesIt is the subject
6 occurrences in 5 groups
- נָשָׂאto lift up, to carry, to bear 2
- חָבַקto hold 1
- חוּשׁto come swiftly 1
- כָּסָהto cover 1
- שָׁלַחto send, to send away 1
What is done to itIt is the object
6 occurrences in 4 groups
- הָיָהto be, to become 2
- יָדַעto know 2
- חָשַׁבto think about 1
- מָצָאto find 1
What is said to be itIt is the predicate
3 occurrences in 3 groups
- עַיִןeye, sight 1
- פֶּצַעbruise 1
- פִּקּוּדcommandments 1
After prepositionsPrepositional phrases
4 occurrences in 3 groups
- לto/for 4
- אֵלto, toward 1
- בin/on/with 1
In phrases “… of it”It is the genitive
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- עֵדwitness 1
When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.
MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Near synonyms 2 words
- יָסַד yâçad · H3245 · to lay the foundations, to establish
- Both terms belong to the semantic field of making something enduring or stable — "establish," "sure," "stedfast," "foundation" — overlapping in the sense of establishing or making something firm.
- סָעַד çâʻad · H5582 · to strengthen, to support, to sustain
- Both terms overlap in the sense of establishing, supporting, or sustaining, especially around making something firm or holding it up.
In the other Testament 2 words
- πιστεύω pisteúō · G4100 · to believe, to think to be true, to regard as trustworthy
- Greek πιστεύω (pisteúō, G4100) is the standard Septuagint and New Testament rendering of Hebrew אָמַן (ʼâman, H539) in its core sense of faith, trust and belief. Both denote trust in the reliability of a person, thing or proposition, though the Hebrew root's broader stative sense ("be firm, sure, established") narrows in Greek to the active verbal sense "to believe, have faith."
- πιστός pistós · G4103 · one who trusts in, trusting, faithful
- Greek πιστός renders the Hebrew root's core semantic range of trustworthiness/faithfulness with direct lexical correspondence across both objective (trustworthy) and subjective (trusting/believing) senses attested in אָמַן (ʼâman, H539)'s diverse contextual applications.
Semantic domains 7 entries
- Non-Move002002001013
- אָמַן describes firm steadiness, the root sense underlying its many extended uses of stability and support, as Moses described as faithful in all God's household, one firmly established there (Numbers 12:7).
- Confident002001002003
- The word describes confident trust, as Abram believing the LORD and having it credited to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6).
- Endure002002003001
- אָמַן can describe something proven enduring or verified true over time, as Joseph's brothers seeking that their words be verified (Genesis 42:20).
- Faithful002001002008
- The word is closely tied to faithfulness, describing the LORD Himself as "the faithful God, who keeps His covenant" (Deuteronomy 7:9).
- True002001003017
- אָמַן can affirm the truth or certainty of a matter, as the people believing when they heard the LORD was concerned for them (Exodus 4:31).
- Care002003002004
- The word also describes nursing or bringing up a child, a caregiving sense built on the same root, as Naomi taking Ruth's child and becoming "his nurse" (Ruth 4:16).
- Hold002003001009
- אָמַן can describe supporting or upholding, as kings and princesses described as guardians and nurses who bow down in support of God's people (Isaiah 49:23).
Word family 17 words
Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H539. aman I. [אָמַן] verb confirm, support (compare Arabic , etc., see below; Sabean אמן…
I. [אָמַן] verb confirm, support (compare Arabic , etc., see below; Sabean אמן in derivatives & proper names compare CISiv.1, 10 DHMZMG 1885, 598; Aramaic אֲמַן, in Haph`el, Ethiopic , Assyrian in derivatives) — only
Qal Participle אֹמֵן —
1 as verb support, nourish 2Ki 10:1, 2Ki 10:5; Est 2:7,
2 as substantive foster-father Num 11:12 (J) Isa 49:23.
3 אֹמֶנֶת foster-mother, nurse Rth 4:16; 2Sa 4:4.
4 אֹמְנוֺת pillars, supporters of the door 2Ki 18:16. Participle passive a. הָאֱמֻנִים those brought up (in scarlet) Lam 4:5.
b. אֱמוּנִים intransitive faithful (as firm, stable) as substantive masculine faithful ones Psa 12:2 (> ᵑ6 ᵐ5 and others faithfulness) 2Sa 20:19 (compare Arabic be faithful, trust in, be secure); Psa 31:24 faithful ones ׳י Keepeth, י נֹצֵר ׳אֱמוּנִים; but ׳א is here taken by ᵐ5 Ri De Che as abstract noun see אֵמֻן. Niph`al נֶאֱמַן Pro 11:13 + (6 t); Imperfect יֵאָ֫מֶן יֵאָמֵן, 1Ki 8:26 + (9 t.); Participle נֶאֱמָן Pro 25:13 + ( 16 t.) נֶאֱמָנָה Isa 1:21 + ( 4 t.); נֶאֱמֶנֶת Psa 89:29; נֶאֱמָנִים Pro 27:6 + (9 t.); נֶאֱמָנוֺת Deu 28:59. 1.carried by a nurse Isa 60:4.
2 made firm, sure, lasting: place Isa 22:23, Isa 22:25; name 1Ch 17:24; waters Isa 33:16; Jer 15:18; an event Hos 5:9; sickness Deu 2:8:59; mercy Isa 55:3.
3 confirmed, established, sure: kingdom 2Sa 7:16; house, dynasty 1Sa 2:35; 1Sa 25:28; 1Ki 11:38; 1Ch 17:23; prophet Samuel 1Sa 3:20; compare word-play תֵאָמֵנוּ לֹא תַאֲמִינוּ לֹא אִם = if ye believe not (have not firm confidence) ye will not be confirmed Isa 7:9; בי ׳הַאֲמִינוּ וְתֵאָמֵנוּ = believe in Yahweh and ye will be confirmed2Ch 20:20. 4. verified, confirmed: words of God 1Ki 8:26; 2Ch 1:9; 2Ch 6:17; his precepts Psa 111:7; testimonies Psa 19:8; Psa 93:5; covenant Psa 89:29; words of men Gen 42:20 (E). 5. reliable, faithful, trusty: persons 1Sa 2:35; 1Sa 22:14; Job 12:20; Psa 89:38; Psa 101:6; Pro 25:13; Isa 8:2; Neh 13:13; a city Isa 1:21; הנאמן האל the faithful God Deu 7:9 compare Isa 49:7; רוּחַ נֶאֱמַן faithful in spirit (disposition) Pro 11:13; נֶאֱמָן לְבָבוֺ his heart faith-ful Neh 9:8; וְנֶאֱמָן אֱמֶת עֵד true and faithful witness Jer 42:5; אוהב פצעי נאמנים faithful the wounds of a loving one Pro 27:6; with נֵת Psa 78:8; עִם Hos 12:1; בְּ of thing Psa 78:37; בְּכָלבֵּֿיתִי in all my house (of Moses) Num 12:7 (E). Hiph`il הֶאֱמִין Gen 45:26 + (18 t.); Imperfect יַאֲמֵן יַאֲמִין, Job 15:31 + (30 t.); Imperative הַאֲמִינוּ2Ch 20:20 + (2 t.); Participle מַאֲמִין Deu 1:32; Josh 25:16.
4 stand firm Job 39:24 (with negative of the horse when the trumpet sounds Di De MV RVm; but neither believeth RV, hardly trusts Da). 2. trust, believe: (a) absolute Exo 4:31 (J) Isa 7:9; Isa 28:16; Hab 1:5; Psa 116:10; Job 29:24; (b) with ל of person, trust to, believe Gen 45:26 (E) Exo 4:1, Exo 4:8 (J) Jer 40:14; 2Ch 32:15; with God Deu 9:23; Isa 43:10; ל of thing Exo 4:8-9, (J) Psa 106:24; 1Ki 10:7; 2Ch 9:6; Isa 53:1; Pro 14:15; (c) with ב of person, trust in, believe in Exo 19:9 (J) 1Sa 27:12; 2Ch 20:20; Job 4:18; Job 15:15; Pro 26:25; Jer 12:6; Mic 7:5; the usual construction with God Gen 15:6 (E) Exo 14:31; Num 14:11 (J) Num 20:12 (P) Deu 1:32; 2Ki 17:14; 2Ch 20:20; Psa 78:22; Jon 3:5; with ב of thing Deu 28:66; Job 15:31; Job 24:22; Job 39:12; Psa 78:32; Psa 106:12; Psa 119:66; (d) with כִּי trust or believe that Exo 4:5 (J) Job 9:16; Lam 4:12; (e) so with infin. Job 15:22; Psa 27:13; also trust to do a thing, almost = allow, Jdg 11:20.
[אֲמַן] verb Haph`el trust (Biblical Hebrew); — Perfect3masculine singular בֵּאלָחֵהּ חֵימִן Dan 6:24; Passive participle מְחֵימַן trusty, trustworthy, of person Dan 6:5, interpretation Dan 2:45.
Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain
Topical studies with this word 7 entries
Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Sources
eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0
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